Drew Dober, a fighter who always aims to battle until the very end, expressed understanding regarding the referee Mike Beltran`s decision in his recent loss at UFC Mexico this past Saturday.
During the co-main event`s final moments, Manuel Torres landed a punch on Dober, causing him to drop. Dober immediately grabbed Torres`s leg, attempting a takedown as he tried to recover. Torres followed up with several hammer fists to Dober`s head, leading Beltran to halt the fight at 1:45 of the first round.
Almost instantly after the fight was stopped, Dober was back on his feet, ready to continue. While many criticized Beltran for letting Dober absorb excessive damage, some were also confused by the timing, given Dober`s quick return to standing.
“I’m not arguing it. It was a good call,” Dober told MMA Fighting about the stoppage. “That first or second hammer fist really stunned me. My body just has this automatic fight response, even when my mind isn`t fully there. It was like my body was still going, but I wasn`t fully conscious.”
“The reason I was holding onto his leg was because I was no longer fully aware. It was a good stoppage. My instinct to fight just overrides my conscious mind.”
Since the fight, Dober has reviewed it multiple times and can now pinpoint the exact moment he was no longer effectively defending himself, although it was harder to recognize in the heat of the fight.
“If you watch closely, when you’re going for a takedown, you want your hand grip to be above your opponent’s knee,” Dober explained. “I was attempting a takedown, and after the first or second hammer fist, you can see my grip slip down below his knee to a low single leg position. That’s not a takedown I typically go for, so it wasn’t a productive move.”
“So, if you rewatch the fight, the moment my grip goes below his knee, that’s when the fight should have been stopped.”
Considering he took several more hammer fists after he was already compromised, does Dober blame Beltran for stopping the fight late?
“For my own safety, it probably could have been stopped sooner, but I don’t fault the referee because he’s doing his job,” Dober said. “He mentioned in the locker room that he understands my fighting style and how much damage I can withstand. He was trying to give me every chance to improve my position.”
“Ultimately, the reason for the late stoppage is that my body kept fighting even when my mind wasn`t fully present. I don’t blame anyone. Everyone was doing their job, including Manuel Torres. It’s just how it played out.”
While fighter safety is the primary concern when referees decide to stop a fight, Dober admits he prefers officials to give fighters every possible opportunity to recover.
There was no recovery possible in the UFC Mexico fight, but Dober is grateful that his resilience usually allows him to weather attacks and then counter his opponents.
“I’ve chosen a tough career for my long-term health,” Dober acknowledged. “In MMA, careers aren`t perfect. You’re going to get hit, and you have to recover from it. I think referees should err on the side of caution and let the fighters work.”
Much of the post-fight discussion has focused on the stoppage. For Dober, he also has to deal with suffering his third consecutive loss in the UFC.
Perhaps even more frustrating for Dober is that he didn’t get to showcase his fight preparations as his night ended so quickly.
“I’m disappointed that I only showed about 90 seconds of fighting, but I needed to analyze what went wrong,” Dober said. “I rewatched the fight many times, and honestly, I was doing everything right. I worked on my improvements, my strategy, my movement, my feints. I was pushing him to the fence, taking risks. Everything was set up for an amazing fight, but there’s always a bit of luck involved. He committed to a 1-2 off the fence, and it landed perfectly. I was definitely stunned by the knockdown. We’re all fighters; we get punched. There’s no such thing as a flawless fight.”
“I fell, attempted a takedown to get the fight going, and it was that first or second hammer fist to the side of my head that ended it. What I take away from it is that I still have my skills, I’m still capable, and I’m eager for the next fight. But Manuel Torres landed a perfect shot.”
Back home and resting, Dober prioritizes his long-term health and won’t rush back into fighting without being fully ready.
Dober mentioned plans to see doctors this week for a check-up. Although he feels fine, he’s not taking any chances with his brain health after a knockout. Ideally, Dober hopes to fight again around August or September, pending medical clearance.
“I’m not going to become a defensive wrestler overnight. I know in my fights, I’m going to get hit in the head,” Dober said. “It’s part of my fighting style. So, I need to ensure my head is healthy and can handle the impact. I’m going to take time off. I’m seeing a neurologist on Friday to check on my head. I’m wearing blue-light glasses and using a hyperbaric chamber. I’m doing everything I can to ensure my brain heals properly before I compete again.”
“Health-wise, I feel good. We’re just going to make sure we don’t cause any more damage in training.”
